7 Weeks Back in Livingston, TX – The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Our 7 weeks back in Livingston can best be described by quoting Charles Dickens’ line from A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  We experienced so much joy and happiness yet witnessed so much devastation and despair.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  Let me start at the beginning…

 

We had a stressful ride from Hondo on April 10, first for Mom through San Antonio traffic, then for Dad through Houston later that afternoon.  But we arrived home safely in Livingston and completed our 3.5-month trip without incident—that is until Dad backed our set-up into our site and began to unhitch.  He forgot Mom’s motorcycle, Yellow Jacket, was on the rear rack of Big Boomer, our medium duty truck.  Transporting Yellow Jacket this way requires extending the RV jacks a second time for clearance before pulling the truck away—a step Dad neglected to do.  This resulted in a dented gas tank for Yellow Jacket.  Mom tried to warn Dad ahead of time.  She screamed “STOP” and gave Dad our agreed-upon hand signal for stopping.  Too bad Dad was oblivious to Mom’s warnings, and he ended up receiving a whole different hand signal from an upset Mom of Italian heritage!  Truthfully, Mom took it in stride.  She knows that whatever Dad breaks, Dad always fixes. And Dad taking us all out afterwards for a veggie pizza at Joe’s Italian Grill certainly helped diffuse the situation.

 

On April 11 we were in the Houston area for errands, delicious lunch of Indian cuisine at the Curry House, and Dad’s doctor appointments (he’s doing great, out of a-fib since October 30, and weening off some meds).  Dad also had another mission in mind:  finding a new-to-us Jeep now that we sold Rat Patrol II, our Polaris RZR side by side.  And once Dad gets something in his head, it is “move it, move it, move it”.  Consequently, we were back in Houston the very next day picking up our newly-purchased 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, which we will use on-road and off-road.   I am excited that I now have a mature set of wheels to transport my lovely lady Mademoiselle Rochelle, Pocket Pal Nezumi, and my nutcracker Rat King.  Dad/Mom were pleased that the Jeep was well-maintained and already equipped with many off-roading and towing amenities, so less prep work for Dad for our upcoming 4-month trip.

 

Introducing my new set of wheels, appropriately named "The Rat Pack's Rubicon"

After having 2 roadside emergencies on our previous multi-month RV trip, we brought Big Boomer to the International Truck Center in Houston for maintenance/preventative service.  I guess he wasn’t feeling too well again, ‘cause Big Boomer’s “hospital” bill amounted to $3,100!  This is another reason why we purchased the Jeep.  It will reduce the miles/wear and tear Big Boomer bears day in and day out. 

 

Our social calendar was filled during our short stay in Livingston.  We joined our pickleball pals on and off the courts... 

 

...and reconnected with fellow Park Residents at various events. 

The Status Crowes performed as a fundraiser for Escapees CARE, an assisted living RV Park.  We have enjoyed their performances several times previously, and they did not disappoint this time around.

The April Pot Luck get together was well received.

We resumed our dance lessons.

And we enjoyed fellowship with friends, whether Livingston locals...

Think you are seeing double?  Nope...

...we went out with this fun group on 2 different occasions!

...or folks we have met along our travels who were passing through Livingston.

 

We utilized our Texas Park Pass, too, with visits to Lake Livingston and Martin Dies Jr State Park in Jasper.  

 

Lake Livingston State Park

A family of fungi

Sights along the hiking trails within the Walnut Ridge Section of Martin Dies Jr State Park...

Another day we visited Sam Rayburn Lake/Reservoir in Jasper.  This Army Corps of Engineers recreation area includes RV parking, picnicking, and water activities.  The RV Park was nice, with spots available right along the Lake/Reservoir, but it would be very difficult for us to maneuver with our set-up. We read that the premises included hiking trails.  But if there are trails at this location, we didn’t find them.  Based on the lack of groundskeeping here, we presume the trails are probably unmaintained.  The area, in general, is underutilized.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch in a secluded grove by the lake and spent several hours planning our upcoming 4-month RV trip.

 

Though the area is underutilized by humans, the fire ants have made it a permanent home.

We noticed a lack of general groundskeeping.  The grass/brush was so high, you couldn't even see this table in the picnic grove.

Perhaps leaving this guy in charge is the problem.

The say April showers bring May flowers.  But this year we experienced the showers in May.  But these were not normal showers.  Instead, they were comprised of torrential long-lasting rains with horrific thunderstorms, the likes of which my family never had witnessed before.  Though it was daytime, the skies blackened.    My beloved Grandma always told Mom as a little girl that the sounds of thunder were the heavenly angels bowling.  Let me tell ya, the rumbles of thunder during these storms were so loud, long, and earth shaking, the angels must have been having one spectacular bowling tournament!  The number of lightning strikes in the area was unprecedented.   The first storm on May 2 dropped 12 inches of rain in less than 4 hours!  All the creeks in the area crested, causing irreparable damage to homes, vehicles, and businesses.  Aerial views by Drone Brothers captured the devastation throughout the area, and Livingston’s plight was broadcast on National news.

And the next day, we received more distressing news:  One of the buildings at Pine Hill Apartments was ablaze, the victim of a lightning strike.  Thankfully, there was no loss of life, but occupants lost all their personal belongings and the roof over their head.

 

And the rains continued, creating another problem--The Trinity River was reaching flood stage.  The River Authority was forced to increase the output of water from the Dam, creating a flooding nightmare for all those living downstream.  Evacuation orders were mandated for many area residents, while other residents whose homes were on stilts in low-lying areas were confined to their second floors. It was nearly 2 weeks before the last of the evacuation orders were rescinded and folks affected by flooding from the Dam output could begin their clean-up process.

 

While clean-up and recovery were ongoing, the Livingston area was hit with a second horrific storm!  And it seemed every few days thereafter, we would have another thunderstorm.  We incurred more than 36 inches of rain this month, and it is raining yet again as I write this blog post.

 

Most of us at Rainbow’s End fared well with the storms and were blessed with minimal damage.  A corner section of Rainbow Oaks flooded twice, pouring nearly 2 feet of water into a few sheds of leased-lot occupants and causing problems for at least one transient RVer.  And we know of at least 2 residents of CARE who suffered water damage to their rigs.  Additional storms during this final week of May came with heavy winds, resulting in many fallen trees in the area and loss of power both in the Park and throughout Livingston on multiple occasions. 

 

Rainbow Oaks

The torrential rain created ruts and rivets on our lot and that of our neighbor, causing us both to lose lots of gravel/stone, but we were thankful this is all that happened.

Our hearts ache for all those affected by storm damage in Livingston as well as Houston, Dallas, and beyond.  Many lost everything but the clothes they were wearing!    Some remained unscathed from the floods, but subsequently suffered severe property damage from downed trees.  Many incurred power outages, having no air conditioning to combat the excessive heat and humidity we are experiencing (temps have been in the 90s, with a heat index of 105F degrees.)

 

We did what we could to support the storm victims.  We volunteered an extra shift to our once-a-week work at the Mannafest Food Pantry.  We purchased food items for Our Father’s House, a ministry of Life Vine Church that provides meals to the homeless 5 days a week.  We provided financial assistance to the Polk County Center of Hope, which was remaining open 7 days a week to offer services and shelter to flood victims and was operating as a headquarters for FEMA.  Most importantly, we are offering continued prayers to our Heavenly Father for all affected.  May the despair in their hearts be replaced by hope.  

 

On a happier note, we were invited and attended our first Texas wedding!  We were so honored to be a part of our dance instructor’s special day, although its occurrence on the holiday weekend precluded us from participating in most of our Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) Motorcycle Missions.  Thankfully, we were able to honor our fallen on Memorial Day by attending a service at Gibson Funeral Home in Lufkin, TX.

 

Dad was asked to escort the groom's daughter to her seat.

The happy couple!

Memorial Day Service at Gibson Funeral Home in Lufkin, TX.

Kudos to Lowe's.  The Corporation set up displays at all our area stores to honor our fallen heroes, demonstrating the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Speaking of weddings, Mom and Dad celebrated their own anniversary (albeit late) with a trip on the Texas State Railroad.  I took them for “a ride to the train station!” (I’ve been waiting to use that line from Yellowstone!), except this was a scenic 2-hours in the Jeep along US-287 to Palestine, TX under cloudy skies and light rain.  I saved my cheese money and bought them first-class train tickets, which included table seating, a complimentary mini charcuterie, and bottled water.   

 

Dad wooed Mom at home with a dozen roses in her favorite shade, which just happens to be the State Flower of Texas!

All aboard!

The Texas State Railroad runs 25 miles between Palestine and Rusk, TX.  The route was originally built by supervised inmates at the Rusk Penitentiary in the late 1800s to facilitate the prison system’s ability to haul iron ore, timber, and other raw materials to and from its grounds.  Later the route expanded, and the railroad began to offer freight and passenger service.  But this endeavor proved to be unprofitable.  Today, the Texas State Railroad operates strictly as a tourist attraction.

My parents have taken about a half dozen of these train excursions throughout the U.S.A.  Some they enjoyed immensely, others they believed to be a total waste of money.  They offered this tourist line a 3.5 on the Rambling RV Rat 5-Cheese Award Scale.

 

For starters, the train got off to a late start.  Apparently, they had some bad storms come through the area earlier in the morning, and the tracks had to be cleared of debris and downed trees.  Some narration was provided during the trip, but most of the time there was just Victorian-era music playing.  Mom was grateful that the Railroad did provide a brochure providing some history and designating points of interest along the route.  Among the various sights viewed by my parents were the Neches River Bridge, the North Pole set up used for the Railroad’s Polar Express, and the Maydelle Turntable, technology from the 1890s used to reverse the direction of locomotives.  They also saw the infamous Train Robber Ranch, which at one time provided actors to come onboard and re-enact a train robbery.  (Interestingly, we saw this group perform last year when they were hired as the entertainment for the 97^th birthday of a resident at Escapees Rainbow’s End).  Sadly, this tradition of a train robbery re-enactment was cancelled by Texas State Railroad a few years ago--it was deemed too frightening for any young children on board.

Maydelle Turntable

 

Train Robber Ranch

The route was somewhat scenic, 'cause Mom is always happy to see deer, goats, and cows.

Cows and cattle egret living in harmony.  Why can't humans do that?

But to my parents, the best part of the trip was reaching the Rusk Depot and viewing the beautiful grounds, which included a lake, an iconic country chapel, and even a rustic campground.

 

I've gotta tell ya about Stella's Bakery, Livingston's new eatery which opened in January 2024.  Sadly, we had already left Livingston for our trip to AZ/NM when it opened, so we were anxious to try it upon our return.  And try it we did--every single week after our volunteer shifts at Mannafest!  Stella's has unique sandwiches on home-baked breads (Mom loves the Italian Grinder), freshly-prepared soups and salads, quiches, and gourmet deserts to die for, earning it a coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-Cheese Award!

Based on the table assignment holders, Stella's loves rodentia as much as I do!

It is blueberry season here in East Texas!  We were so glad to visit C&M Farms in Livingston on opening day!  The berries are tasty, plump, and plentiful!  Mom’s been busy baking:  blueberry muffins, blueberry crumb cake, blueberry-banana bread.  My tummy is looking for something yummy, so I think I’ll go taste-test some of her goodies now.  Then I’m turning in early—we embark tomorrow on our next 4-month RV journey.

 

This cardinal was admiring the berries as much as we were.

Our treasure trove!

I’ll talk to you again soon!